Walpole Easter report
Well Easter has come and gone for another year and with it my annual trip to Walpole has also finished. We headed down there on the Wednesday day before Easter with my 4.85 trailcraft in tow, new boat cover firmly in place keeping all my camping gear dry. We set up camp in bright sunlight though the wind was blowing 20 knots from the south east (not good for offshore down there). I have been camping at Rest point at Easter for the last 35 years and you take the good weather with the bad. As I like offshore fishing it was looking like there would be plenty of time to sit around the fire and drink a few cold ones.
Apart from a few runs in the inlet with the tin lids (2 and 4) catching herring on lures there wasn’t any chance to get outside until the Monday. We headed out through the mouth and headed a few miles east to a spot that had been very productive in January, not a bite. Moved around a bit before ending up back near Saddle Island (for those who know the area) and did a few drifts over some lumpy bottom and got a good feed of black ass harlequin (see photo). I also got bricked by something rather large, got it about 5-10m off the bottom before wham strait back to the bottom and ping, not happy Jan.
On Tuesday I took the wife out leaving the kids in camp with friends. The seas were even calmer but with the wife being prone to sea sickness we didn’t venture too far past saddle. I set up a drift over a large lump that I had picked up a dhuie last Easter. The wife got a fox fish first drift then on the next drift she got another then we both hooked up together, she was working hard on landing the biggest sergant baker that I have ever seen while I was working even harder to land my biggest dhuie to date, a nice fat 14kg.
To say that I was stoked is an understatement. We ended up being out for about 3hrs with the wife out fishing me number wise 3 fox fish and a Black ass vs dhuie, queenie and fox fish. Since I can’t seem to catch a feed when I fish up here in the metro area it was great to be taking a few feeds home as we all love fish.
All too soon it was time to pack up and head home, don’t you hate the idea of work.
As I sit here typing this I am thinking of the next trip away, 8 weeks up north with the last two in Exmouth as well as another trip to Walpole at some stage. I just love the offshore fishing down there.
I would rather be fishing
out wide
Posts: 1535
Date Joined: 30/12/08
Nice feed there
Brad. Don't ya just love Warpy.We do.
carps
Posts: 126
Date Joined: 01/03/10
nice dhu there mate there
nice dhu there mate there are some good lumps out there ey!
chrisp
Posts: 1217
Date Joined: 24/05/08
Gotta Love the Deep South!
Blackbum,Harli's and dhufish.Doesn't get much tastier than that.Nice bag
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18032
Date Joined: 11/03/08
great feed there. cant say i
great feed there. cant say i wouldnt be happy with a catch like that. top effort on the dhuie too. well done
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Tigh82
Posts: 225
Date Joined: 04/05/06
Breaksea
They are some good size breaksea thats for sure. Nice tasty bag, enjoy!
Lucky Tim
Posts: 2536
Date Joined: 28/11/07
yep, I have a big soft spot
yep, I have a big soft spot for southern bottom species too. Looks like a good way to spend Easter.
damo6230
Posts: 2029
Date Joined: 07/06/08
good report Brad
is a spectacular part of WA.
looks like it blew up everywhere ove rEaster
soupster51
Posts: 2724
Date Joined: 29/11/06
Agree - Good Report
Well done. Sounds like a great Easter to me.
The best reason for doing what's right today is tomorrow.
fisherman1992
Posts: 320
Date Joined: 06/11/09
gday mate i went to a spot
gday mate i went to a spot in walpole named long point have you ever fished there off the rocks clifs or beach we didnt get anything just herring but we didnt try for bigger fish. is there big fish there would be great if you could pm me
fishing isnt a sport its a lifestyle
wadetolley
Posts: 2258
Date Joined: 27/06/08
Great
Great report Brad. What boat cover did you lend on getting? Caught some good fish outside mate, done well. Did you here if the boat ramp near colemine is open yet?
Love the pic of the girls and the dhui mate, crack up!
Leemo
Posts: 3712
Date Joined: 22/02/07
stonka of a harlequin and
stonka of a harlequin and blackarse! great bag mate, dosnt get much tastier than that. the dhuie just tops it all off!
bludgin' since 94'
Jack Dawson
Posts: 81
Date Joined: 02/04/09
Nice feed there! No fish
Nice feed there!
No fish around the long point area btw
markwell
Posts: 47
Date Joined: 03/04/10
I luv Walpole used to go
I luv Walpole. used to go stay at rest point every Jan for 20 odd years. would go out with slim (miss potynup) george(baron) and co. now bought boarding kennels so always busy, miss it heaps. my kids grew up down there. always had dogs with us, 2 german sheperds. was good when aunty ran it, not flash but quiet. then think it was John took it over and busy now. brother in laws parents ran it 25 odd years ago, lived in caravan. aunty lived in house, that is when started going down first with savage ally centre console then westerberg. chattams reef always did us well plus couple reefs about 14 miles out from saddle or if winds up, skippy rock in channel or back of snake island. ahh still miss it. might get back down there one day
Anytime Brad
Posts: 237
Date Joined: 20/07/09
luv of walpole
Like you I have been going there for 35 odd years, every easter and in the old days when I was growing up in albany also there in jan and other long weekends. Havent been to chatam but have fished nuytes rams head and the like. All these fish were caught wihtin 2 miles of saddle. If I wasnt getting fish I would head further afield but havent had to last couple of times there.
I would rather be fishing
markwell
Posts: 47
Date Joined: 03/04/10
I cant remember what year it
I cant remember what year it was think around early 90s we had couple dry years after long liners came through and killed it for a couple of years but otherwise always got good catch black ass nanagy queenie jewie and always those banded sweep is Swarbricks old shed still standing some lovely old clinker built boats left in there and rest point was just so peacefull just perfect place